Some of the fan-favourite characters from The Sopranos are expected to appear in the film set in the era of the 1960s Newark riots, when African-Americans and Italians were adversaries.

Considered one of the greatest television series of all time, the groundbreaking series ran for six seasons on HBO from 1999 until 2007. Its numerous accolades include 21 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.

Chase will serve as producer as well as co-writer on the film. Nicole Lambert will serve as executive producer.

Chase's last feature film was the 2012 drama Not Fade Away, starring James Gandolfini, who played mobster Tony Soprano in the series but died in 2013.

"David is a masterful storyteller and we, along with our colleagues at HBO, are thrilled that he has decided to revisit, and enlarge, the Soprano universe in a feature film," Warner Bros Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said.